Automatic weather-strip for doors



Patented Nov. 22, I898.

F. FOWLER &, A. M. ULMER. AUTOMATIC WEATHER STRIP FOR DOORS.

(Application filed. May 12, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANK FOWVLER AND AMOS M. ULMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC WEATHER-STRIP FOR DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,713, dated November 22, 1898.

Application filed May 12,1896. Serial No. 591,250. (No model.)

To aZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK FOWLER and AM'os M1ULMER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Weather-Strips for Doors, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists of certain improvements in the weather-strip for which Letters Patent No. 423,292 were granted to us on the 11th day of March, 1890, one object of our invention being to facilitate the lifting of the strip as the door is opened, and a further object being to provide for holding the weatherstrip inclose contact with the hood or shield throughout the entire length of the strip when the same is depressed, so as to prevent the access of rain or snow to the space beneath said hood. These objects we attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whioh- Figure l is a View of part of a door and door-frame, showing the door opened and the strip raised, part of the covering-plate being broken away to show the operating devices beneath it. Fig. 2 is a similar View, but showng the door closed and the weather-strip depressed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating the action of the weather-strip. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 6 6, Fig. 2.

A represents part of a door-frame, B the sill, and D part of a door hung to the frame,

so that it can swing overthe sill.

To the outside of the door are secured op posite plates a, and to suitable bearings in the lower portions of these plates are adapted the trunnion-pins d of the weather-strip F, said-strip consisting, preferably, of a plate of thin sheet metal.

Sliding in one of the end plates a and in a bearing on a frame (Z, secured to the face of the door, is a sliding bolt G, which is normally projected by means of a spring f, so that its outer end projects somewhat beyond the inner edge of the door, as shown in Fig. 1. Hence when the door is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, contact of this outer end of the bolt with the door jamb or frame A will cause the ver I, which is hung to a stud or pin 1' on the plate (1, the other arm of this lever acting upon an arm m, projecting upwardly and inwardly from one of the trunnion plates or pins b of the strip F.

The operating devices described and also the inner edge of the strip F are covered and protected by a hood J, extending from one end plate a to the other.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the door is open, the spring f pushes the bolt G in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, thereby depressing that arm of the lever I which acts upon the arm on on the trunnionpin of the strip F and raisihg thelatter to the horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1 and by dotted lines in Fig. 3. IVhen, however, the door is closed, contact of the outer pro jecting end of the bolt G with the door-jamb A causes inward movement of said bolt in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, thus permitting the arm m to rise and carry with it the lever I, this movement being due to the fact that the portion of the strip F projecting outwardly beyond the trunnions prepon derates in weight and has a natural tendency to fall by gravity as soon as pressure is re moved from the lever I.

The mechanism described constitutes a simple, compact, and effective device for causing the automatic raising and lowering of'the Weather-strip, the latter when in the de pressed position resting'snugly on the outer slope of the sill, so as to effectually preclude the entrance of rain, snow, or dust, but the strip being instantly lifted as soon as the door begins to open, so as to clear the sill on the further movement of the door.

In order to prevent buckling or sagging of the strip F in the case of wide doors, we provide at one or more points in the width of the door right-angled brackets n, the vertical portion of each bracket being secured to the face of the door and the horizontal portion serving, either by its edge bearing to back up the strip when the latter is depressed, as shown by full lines in Fig. 0, or, by its horizontal support,

to stiffen and brace the strip when the latter is elevated, as shown by dotted lines in said figure.

In the weather-strip forming the subject of our previous patent, before referred to, the lever which effected the raising of the weatherstrip as the door was opened was at right angles to the longitudinal line of the strip. Consequently it acted upon the latter so close to its fulcrum that its power was exerted to a great advantage and an extremely strong spring was required in order to move it. In the present construction the lever I is in the same longitudinal plane as the weather-strip, and consequently it can be placed closely to the face of the door, so as to provide for the use of a projecting arm on the weather-strip and the application of power to the latter at a point farther removed from the fulcrum than in the patented device, thereby permitting the use of a much lighter spring than before, with the resultant greater ease of operation, the connections being such that the spring always acts to raise the weather-strip, the latter being allowed to drop into position by gravity when relieved from the action of the spring-pressed lever.

The brackets 11 bear such relation to the lower portion of the hood J that they serve not only to support and brace the strip F when the latter is raised, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, but they also serve to press the upper portion of the strip against the inner side of the hood throughout the entire lengthof the strip when the latter is down, as shown by full lines in Fig. 6, thus preventing the access of snow or rain to the space beneath the hood from whence it could pass beneath the door.

Ilavingthus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut-- The combination of the Weather-strip pivoted t0 the door so as to have a normal tendency to descend, said strip having an arm projecting rearwardly beyond its fulcrum, a plate secured to the door, a rod guided in said plate, a spring acting on said rod to project the same, and a lever longitudinally parallel with said weather-strip and rod, said lever having an arm acting directly upon the rearwardly-projecting arm of the weather-strip and depressing said arm to raise the strip, and another arm engaged directly by the sliding rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK FOVLER. AMOS M. ULMER.

\Vitnesses:

l\[U]-tl-1AY 0. 130mm, FRED (l. BENNER. 

